Let's Make "Little Pies"

Americans call them "turnovers" while Asian people call them "fried dumplings." No they don't, but they would if they saw how it looked like. Empanadas, or what my friend calls them "pastelitos" also known as "little pies" are easy to make and easy to eat.  

Here's a list of ingredients that we used, or from what I remember. And the amount is all up to you.  

Thai Beef Salad (video!)

I made Thai Beef Salad (and it was delicious) and my brother recently got a new camera. So, I told him to document this special moment of me actually cooking at home. Note that this isn't a guide on how to make the salad (to my two readers if you want the recipe, just text me :P).

It's a rough cut, and hopefully we'll have more time to edit this again properly. Play it on mute because the music ain't bringing on the action! Enjoy!

Septemberagus, Chicktember, Mashed Potembers

August deserves a B-. September, now September, deserves an A+. I always think it's hard to remain consistent and starting off strong isn't the point. The point is to keep a steady pace. I have to remember that life (uhhh) is a marathon, not a quick sprint for the finish.

I give September an A+ because today, unlike any other day so far this summer, I went grocery shopping. This time, I wasn't waiting in the car reading Me Talk Pretty One Day while my mom explored Valley Supermarket. Yeah, I started the book when Betty was still interning with me months ago. It's not boring at all. Don't blame the book. Blame me - I have a short attention span.

My choice of shopping is very limited in Asia Central. Trader Joe's is my go to market, but the nearby one is about a few miles too many for me to drive on an empty stomach. With a name like "Cali Mart" I presumed they'll sell asparagus and 2% milk. Lucky for me, I only had to shop at one market to gather all my ingredients! Side note: when I think of the word "gather" I always think of hunters and gatherers. Meh.

So let's look at this. Going to the supermaket deserves an A. Not an A+. The added + goes to me cooking!

Here it is, my first home-made dinner! I would have taken more photos of the process, but there was only one cook/photographer (me!) in the kitchen.

Chicken breast with lime juice, cilantro, chopped onions, salt, pepper. I would tell you the measurements if I knew them. Just eyeballed everything. I hate salty food, so I make sure I don't put too much salt. If it's too bland, I'll add it after. I
also created some indentations on the chicken because I think I'm such a chef.

The asparagus wasn't as fresh. I guess Asians prefer other tender greens like bok choy or green beans over asparagus.
 I ended up cutting the edges off.

I usually bake my asparagus, but I had to work with what I had! Before stir frying it in a pan, I added some water and placed a lid over it so it'll be softer. 

I boiled red potatoes (with skin) and garlic in salted water. After draining, I slowly added warm milk, cubes of butter, salt, and fresh chopped green onions. Mash away! 

Look at them breasts! 

Because them breasts were so big, I had to cut them up to make sure they were cooked all the way through! And good thing I did because the center was still raw. You can't always judge a chicken by it's outer golden skin. 

Bon Appétit!